Kommersant: the authorities are developing a program for implanting chips into the human brain

According to Kommersant, the document was prepared by the Russian Academy of Sciences jointly with Moscow State University and approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The program is now "in the initial stage of development". Its cost is estimated at 54 billion rubles. Funds are planned to be allocated from the budgets of five national projects, including "Science", "Demography", "Health".

Within the framework of the program, it is planned to develop technologies of neurointerfaces - this is a set of software and hardware complexes with the help of which it is possible to control external devices (a computer or an exoskeleton) directly thanks to the electrical signals of the brain, where the chip will be implanted. Also, the project involves the creation of human-technology interfaces for control, including cars and airplanes, both directly and remotely. This will allow you to work in inaccessible places with high radiation, in space, etc.

According to Denis Kuleshov, director of the Sensor-Tech Laboratory, the brain-computer technologies already exist in Russia. For example, they are used for rehabilitation after a stroke - a special cap with electrodes is put on a person, from which a signal is transmitted to the exoskeleton. Also, using such an interface, you can control a "smart" home.

But the most advanced interfaces are those built directly into the human brain. They allow not only transmitting a signal from a carrier, but also sending data directly to it into the brain. “For example, we are developing a solution that will be implanted into the brain of blind patients and broadcast a video signal to the visual cortex. Now we are testing the components of the system on animals”, - said Kuleshov.

According to experts, the global market for neurointerfaces in 2019 amounted to $ 1.2-1.3 billion. In addition, the United States has already invested more than $ 1.2 billion in brain-computer technology over seven years, and China has adopted the China Brain Project with over $ 3 billion in funding. But in Russia, experts record a low level of research funding, which leads to a lack of technology transfer.